Midori and Andrew’s intimate downtown St. Pete destination wedding was small in scale but big in classic style with a soft color palette and lush, romantic greenery that complemented their modern venue.
“We had a minimalist theme since we love design elements like clean lines, greenery, and neutrals,” the bride explained. “We chose white and greenery with metallic accents for our wedding; we felt that they were simple and beautiful.”
The Atlanta couple got engaged in the Tampa area so they elected St. Pete for their destination wedding and turned to Marry Me Tampa Bay for insight into local wedding vendors and inspiration.
“Marry Me Tampa Bay was helpful during the planning process because it was really the only resource where we got an in-depth look at local weddings,” the bride shared. “This blog influenced a lot of our design and vendor decisions.”
The bride and groom hosted a traditional ceremony in a historic church in downtown St. Pete and began their search for a nearby reception venue for their 25 guests that fit their minimalist vision.
“We quickly realized that we were looking for a reception venue that would allow us to bring any vendor of our choice, was close to the church, and would offer us ample event time. The Poynter Institute checked all of our boxes!” Midori gushed. “We were able to have the venue space for eight hours, and we had the ability to design every aspect of our wedding. We instantly visualized our wedding reception as soon as we stepped into the gorgeous Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired venue.”
Andrew and Midori sought a St. Petersburg wedding photographer with a candid approach who would capture their wedding day in a way that felt natural and unforced.
“We knew that we wanted a photographer with a natural and realistic style, and we found exactly that with Kéra Photography. Kéra captures so many candid emotions, little details, and tons of movement, nothing felt static or posed in her portfolio. We loved how our wedding photos turned out and from a vendor perspective, Kéra and her team were so much fun to work with!” Midori raved. “She is so easygoing and professional. When things got hectic at any time throughout the day, her calm demeanor helped to smooth things out. She made everyone from the bridal party to our parents feel very comfortable during photos.”
The bride recalls the most memorable part of the day during their ceremony when the couple first saw each other across the cathedral.
“Our favorite moment was seeing each other at St. Mary’s for the first time that day, walking down the aisle,” Midori reminisced.
What were your wedding hair and makeup inspiration?
I loved Femme Akoi Beauty Studio’s work from the start, and they made my bridal party and I feel so beautiful on the wedding day. We had a 1:00 p.m. ceremony start time, and Monica and Casey were so professional and efficient so that we were ready with plenty of time. My bridesmaids, my mom, and I all were so pleased with how our hair and makeup turned out and how it lasted all day.
The Proposal:
Andrew planned a beautiful and private surprise proposal. We spent the day at the Dali Museum and then went for a walk on Sunset Beach. Luckily the 70% chance of rain cleared up, and right as the sun was setting, he asked me to marry him. After saying yes and many happy tears, we excitedly shared the news with our families.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
We knew that we wanted a photographer with a natural and realistic style, and we found exactly that with Kéra Photography. Kéra captures so many candid emotions, little details, and tons of movement; nothing feels static or posed in her portfolio.
We loved how our wedding photos turned out and from a vendor perspective, Kéra and her team were so much fun to work with! She is so easygoing and professional. When things got hectic at any time throughout the day, her calm demeanor helped to smooth things out. She made everyone from the bridal party to our parents feel very comfortable during photos.
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We quickly realized that we were looking for a reception venue that would allow us to bring any vendor of our choice, was close to the church, and would offer us ample event time.
The Poynter Institute checked all of our boxes! We were able to have the venue space for eight hours, and we had the ability to design every aspect of our wedding. We instantly visualized our wedding reception as soon as we stepped into the gorgeous Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired venue.
We are so happy that we chose the Poynter Institute as our reception venue. The venue was versatile offering many different areas for cocktail hour and dinner. Our guests appreciated that there was free parking, and how close it was to the downtown St. Pete area, and we enjoyed working with their event manager, Andrew, to plan our event. He was very knowledgeable and helpful throughout the whole process.
What was on your menu inspiration?
We loved how Amici’s Catered Cuisine offered many menu choices for a seated dinner menu, as well as rentals like linens and décor items. Our guests especially loved the mini empanada hors d’oeuvres and the crab cakes for dinner.
Amici’s service was excellent, in that they were able to accommodate our guests if they had dietary restrictions, and they were so attentive throughout the whole event!
What did you look for in a bartending service?
Many of our other vendors recommended Spunky Spirits when they learned that we were looking for bartenders for our wedding. We decided to purchase our own alcohol for our reception, and Spunky Spirits even helped us plan what to buy.
Our bartender and party pal were both great during the event and also helped with setup and tear down. We loved the cute signs that they made for our signature drinks and their setup was formal to fit the occasion.
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We had a minimalist theme since we love design elements like clean lines, greenery, and neutrals.
What were your colors?
We chose white and greenery with metallic accents for our wedding; we felt that they were simple and beautiful.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
We were planning a multicultural wedding with a very small guest count, so a bilingual DJ that was well-versed in Latin music would be a huge plus.
We are really glad that we found Graingertainment and that we had Luis as our DJ. We had the best time at our wedding reception all thanks to DJ Luis! He read the room so well and had us dancing all night long. DJ Luis and Graingertainment were great during planning, as well. Their online planning tools are so organized that they made the whole process seamless. We are thankful that they made our wedding reception so memorable and fun.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Be open-minded and flexible about wedding planning during these times. We had to pivot from 150 guests to 25 guests. In the end, our close-knit wedding felt perfect.
Also, make a new email address dedicated to wedding planning! It makes it easy for you and your fiancé to collaborate out of the same inbox, and it avoids getting wedding emails mixed or lost in your personal inbox.
Ceremony Venue: St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church
Reception Venue: The Poynter Institute *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Venue
Photographer: Kéra Photography *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Planner: Ash McBride Events
Florist: 2Birds Events
Caterer: Amici’s Catered Cuisine *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Rentals: Chiavari Chic
Cake: Publix
Bartending: Spunky Spirits *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
DJ: Graingertainment *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Officiant: Father Larry Uhlman
Invitations: Paperless Post
Transportation: Barracuda Travels
Dress: Wtoo by Watters
Shoe Designer: Vince Camuto
Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Birdy Grey
Hair & Makeup: Femme Akoi Beauty Studio *Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pro
Rehearsal Dinner: 400 Beach Seafood & Tap House
Groom and Groomsmen Attire: State and Liberty
Late Night Snack: Bodega on Central
Hotel Block and Get-Ready Location: Hyatt Place St. Petersburg Downtown
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
*Preferred Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Pros are highly respected by our local wedding community and have been personally vetted by our editor.
